Low costs also draw students, faculty in
For most of the past year, Island Ink-Jet has been on the first floor of the UMC helping students save money and reduce waste.
Owned and operated by Tony Gilchrist, the UMC location first began operating last November by filling empty ink-jet cartridges for students and faculty at a low price.
“Our service is important because of the cost savings and the ecological impact,” Gilchrist said.
He also said the eco-friendly aspect of ink refills is important because otherwise the empty cartridges will end up in landfills.
This past year, Gilchrist estimates Island Ink-Jet helped students save roughly $22,000 and faculty $26,000. This estimate is based off the comparison between what students paid to fill their empty cartridges and what they would have paid to buy new ones.
On average, a customer can refill their cartridge anywhere from two to 20 times, he said. However, most can be refilled about six times, depending on the printer models. The price ranges from $5 to over $50 depending on printer model and requirements.
Island Ink-Jet can refill a number of different cartridge models including Brother, Canon, Dell, Epson, HP and Lexmark.
Gilchrist said there are do-it-yourself ink refilling kits available on the market, but most people would rather someone else do it.
“For the prices we charge, people just want us to do it,” he said. He also said people think ink-jet refilling doesn’t work because they have tried to do it at home.
“That’s a perception problem that we have to overcome, people are willing to try things and they usually come back after the first visit,” he said.
The UMC location is a part of a larger franchise that has locations throughout the nation. The past year has been successful for the store, Gilchrist said.
“We have a lot of repeat customers. The business is good, but our biggest challenge is getting the word out there to students,” said Adam Van Alstyne, an English graduate student who works at Island Ink-Jet.
“I started working for there after I got lost in the UMC and found it. I needed a job and it sounded like a good time,” Van Alstyne said. He also works at another franchise in Longmont.
According to Van Alstyne, Island Ink-Jet gets a good mix of faculty and student business. However, faculty members usually bring in laser products, he said.
“I found out about it through campus coupons and I definitely think it is a good thing because it’s environmentally sound and economically a good choice,” said Ryan Beeman, a graduate theology student who brought his cartridge in to be refilled this week.
“I think it’s great there is (an Island Ink-Jet) on campus because it’s so convenient for students,” Beeman said.
